Joseph Morgan

Biography:

Joseph Martin Morgan, born on 16 May 1981, is an English actor. Over the course of his career, he has received several honors, including a People’s Choice Award and TV Guide Awards, along with eight Teen Choice Award nominations. After completing his studies at Gower College Swansea, he gained early recognition for his role as Troy in the first season of Sky One’s Hex. He also appeared in supporting roles in films such as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) and Alexander (2004), as well as in the BBC Two series The Line of Beauty (2006).

Morgan rose to wider prominence in 2011 after portraying Klaus Mikaelson in The CW’s supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries. He later reprised the character as the lead in its spin-off series The Originals (2013–2018). His later television work includes roles as CJack60/Elliot in Peacock’s Brave New World, Brother Blood in HBO Max’s Titans, and James Ackerson in the Paramount+ series Halo (2024).

Born in London, Morgan spent 11 years living in Swansea and is the eldest child in his family. He attended Morriston Comprehensive School before pursuing a BTEC in Performing Arts at Gorseinon College (now Gower College Swansea). He later returned to London to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

His first acting audition was for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where he read for the role of Tom Riddle. Morgan’s early career included his breakout role in Hex and supporting appearances in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Alexander, and The Line of Beauty. He also featured in television series such as Doc Martin and Casualty, and co-starred with Billie Piper in Mansfield Park (2007). In 2010, he took on the title role in the miniseries Ben Hur, which aired in Canada and the United States.

Morgan’s portrayal of Klaus Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals earned him multiple Teen Choice Award nominations and a People’s Choice Award. He also appeared as Lysander in the 2011 film Immortals, alongside Henry Cavill, and was ranked number 84 on BuddyTV’s list of “TV’s Sexiest Men of 2011.”

In 2020, Morgan starred in the science fiction series Brave New World. Two years later, he joined the fourth season of Titans as Brother Blood and returned as Klaus Mikaelson in the final season of Legacies. In 2024, he became part of the cast of Halo season two, portraying James Ackerson, an operative within the United Nations Space Command’s Office of Naval Intelligence.

Morgan met actress Persia White while working on The Vampire Diaries. The couple began dating in 2011, became engaged in 2014, and married on 5 July 2014 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

He has followed a vegan lifestyle since 2014 and is an active supporter of the charity Positive Women.